Untitled Sermon (3)

What Manner of Love

 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. 3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as HE is pure.

This is the weekend of Love. There will be more conversations about love More sermons preached about love More candy bought in the name of love More folk getting married becaue they are in love More dinners bought in the name of love More flowers sent in the name of love More reservations made in the name of love But What Manner of Love is this? I am concerned because for so many love have been reduced to a feeling. If it feel good then it must love you. I I am in agreement then it must be love But I submit to you today that love is not so much about what you feel as it is about what you do. What manner of love is this when a man will kill his family and then himself What manner of love is this when someone say "If I can't have you then no one will" What manner of love is this that will give children drugs and alcohol I don't understand this kind of love and I ask you What manner of love is this? What manner of love is this that will cause you to ignore the truth before your eyes and embrace a lie What manner of love will cause you to throw out your faith in God and believe that only a man can save you. What manner of love will encourage you to join in  a mob to overthrow your own government What manner of love is this?   I do not understand this kind of love. How do you call this love? BUT THE QUESTION REMAIN IS IT LOVE OR IS IT DUTY? IS IT LOVE OR IS IT THE DESIRE TO  POSSESS HIM IS IT LOVE  ENOUGH TO LET HIM GO IS IT LOVE ENOUGH TO SEEK THEIR GOOD DO YOU LOVE ENOUGH TO ENCOURAGE HER TO SEEK HER DREAMS OR ARE YOU TRYING TO FULFULL YOUR DREAMS THROUGH SOMEONE ELSE.  THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOVE AND LUST BETWEEN LOVE AND AGREEMENT According to 1 Corinthians 13:4-10 (ASV) 4  Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5  doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; 6  rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; 7  beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8  Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away. 9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; 10  but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. Therefore, Love is an action word, it is a verb and not a noun. John understood this kind of love. This is the love that he shared with Jesus and came to be known as the Apostle whom Jesus loved, John was one of the first that Jesus chose to be His disciples.  John traveled with and were close to Jesus during major events. Along with Peter and James, John was with Jesus when he raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead  as well as during Jesus' transfiguration when Jesus became robed in light and Moses and Elijah appeared.  These three were also present when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, falling asleep multiple times the night before Jesus' crucifixion, even though Jesus had told them to stay awake and pray.  Peter and John were even asked to prepare the Last Supper for Jesus and his disciples, the momentous occasion when Jesus was betrayed . James and John were quite fervent about their commitment to Jesus and his message, which often led them to hasty actions. Jesus referred to the brothers as ''Boanerges'', or ''Sons of Thunder,'' because of this. They wanted to call down the fire of heaven on a group of Samaritans who rejected Jesus and his disciples,  Peter and John  followed Jesus into the palace after His arrest, but only  John went in to watch the trial. John was present at the crucufixion and Jesus entrusted the care of His mother to him. John loved Jesus and was banished to the Isle of Patmos because he refused to stop preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was here that he wrote the three letters of 1st, 2nd and 3rd John. THIS IS THE MANNER OF LOVE THE HE HAD FOR JESUS In chapters one and two John writes about the importance  of Christians being in true fellowship with one another. 1 John 1:6-7 (KJV) 6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. John is more concerned about our walk than our talk.   He knows that talk is cheap but it cost something to walk in the Light of the Lord. True fellowship helps us to stay on the right path because fellowshipping  together edifies  the body of Christ and help us  all  to come into the knowledge of faith. In our text John asks us to Consider WHAT MANNER OF LOVE THE FATHER HAS FOR US.  1 John 3:1 (GW) 1  The Father loves us so much that we are actually called God's dear children.  He loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus loves us so much that He became our propituation, our substitute and died on the cross that we might have the fellowship that was lost in the Garden of Eden with God our Father. WHAT MANNER OF LOVE IS THIS THAT HE WOULD DIE THAT WE MIGHT LIVE. That is love That is the true love. No He is not asking us to die for Him He is asking us to live with Him. John states that a true child of God will prove his spiritual birth by being obedient to God's Word. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments. Most people in the world do not know what a Christian is or how they can become Christians. They trust in religious works and good intentions, depending on the energy of the flesh.  God says that a Christian is someone who has been born again.  It is faith in the finished work of Christ that makes a child of disobedience into a child of God Most people in the world do not know what a Christian is or how they can become Christians.  They trust in religious works and good intentions, depending on the energy of the flesh. God says that a Christian is someone who has been born again. It is faith in the finished work of Christ that makes a child of disobedience into a child of God (see John 1:12-13; 12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Sinners don't know that they must believe that Jesus is the Christ and that He died for all of our sins before they can be saved and born in to the family of God.  And in order  to be a Christian we must be born of God and once we are born of God (1) they practice righteousness, 1John 2:29;  If we know that Jesus is righteous, then we too will practice righteousness. (2) they do not practice sin, 3:9;   We may sin but we will not practice sin, it will not become a way of life to us. (3) they love other Christians, 4:7;   The Jesus in me will love the Jesus in you, that make it easy to love you (4) they overcome the world, 5:4; They lose their desire for the things of the world and fix our eyes on the things above. (5) they keep themselves from Satan, 5:18.   1 John 5:18 (NLT2) 18  We know that God’s children are safe, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. Therefore,  If we have God as our Father and love Him, then surely we will also love His other children. This love will lead to obedience (see John 14:21 and 15:10). Where there is love, there is a willingness to serve and please others. God's commands are not irksome to us because we love Him. There is a law in every city that parents must take care of their children, or else be put in jail. Is it a burden for parents to work and sacrifice to care for their children? Or do they care for them only because they fear this law? No, They obey the law because they love their children. The Christian who complains that God's Word is a burden does not know the meaning of love. See Matt. 11:28-30. To know Christ is to know love.  For God is love.  This is what sinners cannot understand or comprehend,  They do not know God so they cannot know us.  They don't understand us, and think that we are wierd because the love of God constrains us from walking with the world. The things I used to do, I can't do them anymore The places I used to go don't draw me there anymore I am walking to the beat of a different drummer AND HE KNOWS MY NAME HE KNOWS MY GOING IN AND COMING OUT] HE KNOWS MY DOWNSITTING AND MY UPRISINGS HE KNOWS ME HE KNOWS WHAT I WILL DO AND WHAT I CANT DO AND IN SPITE OF ALL OF THIS HE LOVES ME ANYHOW. He loved me enough to hang on a cross from the 6th to the 9th hour enough to allow men to put a crown of thorns on His head and nails in His hands and feet They pierced Him in the side and laid Him in a tomb He stayed there all night Friday, Saturday, but EARLY Sunday morning HE ROSE. HE ROSE WITH ALL POWER IN HIS HANDS HE ROSE TO ASCEND TO THE FATHER TO ONE DAY COME AGAIN HE WILL CLAIM THOSE WHO DIED FIRST IN THE LORD AND THOSE WHO REMAIN WE WILL BE CAUGHT UP TO MEET HIM IN THE AIR. THAT IS LOVE 1 John 3:2-3 (KJV) 2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when HE shall appear, we shall be like HIM; for we shall see him as HE is. 3  And every man that hath this hope in HIM purifieth himself, even as he is pure. SO I ASK YOU THIS AFTERNOON DO YOU LOVE AS JESUS LOVED WE SAY WE LOVE HIM, WE SING WE LOVE HIM BUT DO WE TRULY LOVE HIM JESUS SAID Matthew 5:38-48 (KJV) 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. JESUS LOVES YOU UNCONDITIONALLY WHEN HE DIED HE COVERED ALL SIN PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE NOT BECAUSE WE LOVED HIM BUT BECAUSE HE LOVED US AND O HOW I LOVE JESUS. DO YOU LOVE ENOUGH TO ESTEEM THE OTHER MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOURSELF I KNOW YOU HAVE BOUGHT THE CANDY SENT THE FLOWERS MADE THE PHONE CALL AND SENT THE TEXT I KNOW YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN ON FACETIME AND O HOW I LOVE JESUS. JESUS LOVES YOU UNCONDITIONALLY WHEN HE DIED HE COVERED ALL SIN PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE NOT BECAUSE HE HAD TO BUT BECAUSE HE LOVED US AND O HOW I LOVE JESUS.